Path Following: Discrete Stable Control of Mobile Robots

This paper is based on a previous work. In this paper, mobile robot discrete control laws for path following, including obstacle avoidance based on distance sensorial information are developed. The mobile robot is assumed to evolve in a semi-structured environment. The paper includes the stability analysis of the developed control systems, using positive definite potential functions in discrete time. The control systems to obstacle avoidance are based on the use of the extended impedance concept. The control algorithms also avoid the potential problem of control command saturation. The performance test of control algorithms through experiences on a real mobile robot is proved.